A collaborative research program for exploratory fishery has been undertaken by Japan and South Africa since 2013 to enhance data collection and analysis in the subarea 48.6 under CM 21-02. Spain joined the research program for exploratory fishery starting from 2018/19 fishing season in order to contribute to the data acquisition and to speed up the integrated assessments of the Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) stock in this subarea (WG-FSA-18/34). Data collected by the three participants form bases of the results of the plan that have been presented annually to CCAMLR Working Groups.
This document provides a new research plan for 2024/25 through to 2027/28, in accordance with Annex 24-01/A, Format 2, to continue research in the exploratory fishery in Subarea 48.6. The spatial design of this plan is unchanged from the previous research plan arranging four research blocks. From 2024/25 fishing season, Republic of Korea join to the research program for exploratory fishery to increase research capacity to help achieve the objectives. This plan has been designed as a 4-year plan, based on the low risk profile of this fishery and to allow more time for reviewing of the stock assessments by Working Groups in the so-called ‘non-assessment’ years for established toothfish fisheries. The updated ‘CCAMLR Research Plan - Research Proponent Self-Assessment’ can be found in Appendix 1, and the description of vessel tagging procedures following the survey questionnaire (see Comm Circ-21-54 and SC-Circ-21-68) in Appendix 2.